Humberside Collegiate Institute


Humberside Collegiate Institute, formerly known as Toronto Junction High School and Toronto Junction Collegiate Institute is a public high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves the Bloor West Village, Baby Point, High Park North and Junction neighbourhoods. Prior to 1998, it was within the Toronto Board of Education.
Humberside was established in 1892 and has an academic program for students in grades 9 through 12. In addition to the regular curriculum, the school has a strong music program, as well as an Extended French and French Immersion program. It is a non-semestered school, meaning that the students take all eight of their classes through the entire academic year.
The motto of the school is "Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas", a Latin phrase from Virgil's work Georgics, meaning "Happy is the person who has been able to learn the reasons for things".

History

Humberside was established in 1892 as "Toronto Junction High School" in the basement of the local Presbyterian church. It moved to the current site in 1894 in the High Park area of Toronto, with the construction of a new Richardsonian Romanesque building. In 1903, the school was renamed "Toronto Junction Collegiate Institute", after a local street that runs west from Dundas Street West, past Keele Street to the school's main entrance. In 1909, the school was changed to "Humberside Collegiate Institute" and became part of the Toronto Board of Education when the Junction was annexed by the City of Toronto. In 1910 an addition was added by Charles Hartnoll Bishop. During World War I, many students lost their lives in battle. The front entrance is now a memorial to those who lost their lives, and for quite some time, it was not allowed to be used, until recently. Names were added to the memorial after World War II. The school's yearbook, Hermes, named for the Olympian god of the same name, was established in 1925. The student council was formed in 1931, and three decades later, the school held its first formal dance.
In the late 1920s, Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer was commissioned by the school to paint what is thought to be the largest Canadian mural. After being restored the mural hangs in the school auditorium, which was renamed in 1992 as Lismer Hall.
1966 saw major renovations to the school. A new north wing was opened, which houses the science laboratories. A new library was also constructed, as well as a new structure at the back which housed the new auditorium, and music facilities. In 1972, Humberside became one of the first schools to introduce computers as part of the curriculum. Extended French and French Immersion programs were introduced in 1980 and 1983, respectively. Humberside celebrated its centennial in 1992. In 1998, the TBE was dissolved and Humberside became part of the new Toronto District School Board.
The school was used in the filming of the TV movie in 2005.
In 2005, Mel Greif retired after thirty years of teaching history and geography. He won multiple awards for teaching, including the Jane Jacobs Prize and the Governor General's Award of Excellence.

Sports

The Senior Boys tennis team won the TDSSAA city championships in 2003 and 2004.
In 2006, the junior rugby team won the city championship undefeated.
The varsity football team made it to the TDSSAA Tier Two finals in 2007 for the first time in seven years. 2007 was also the year that the volleyball team went undefeated, winning the championship.
The Senior Boys' hockey team made it to the 2007–08 TDSSAA Tier I championship, losing to the Etobicoke Rams 8–1. The game was broadcast on Rogers Television.
The baseball team uses the fields at nearby High Park.
The 2008 football season will be the first time Humberside CI will have a junior football team in 11 years.
The Humberside boys baseball team went to OFSAA in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The Humberside girls soccer team went to OFSAA in 2013, placed 3rd.
The Humberside girls soccer team went to OFSAA in 2014, placed 1st
The Humberside girls soccer team went to OFSAA in 2015, placed 2nd
The Humberside girls soccer team went to OFSAA in 2016, placed 6th

Notable alumni